Little did Hein know that a full-time job would spin out of her desire to support her kids in their lifestyle choices.

“My oldest son is vegan,” explained the 52-year-old Portland mother of five ranging from age 10 to 26. When her son stopped eating meat, it inspired her to re-evaluate her own diet.

“I became a vegetarian, and when I did, it opened my eyes to all kinds of stuff,” she said. “There was a lot of talk about how we just need to use as many natural things as we could.”

While her family was recycling and living a pretty green lifestyle, Hein started looking for natural alternatives to the harsh chemical-based cleaning products sold at the grocery store. She did some research and decided to try making her own powdered laundry soap.

Early on, she whipped up batches of soap following a published recipe but quickly started tweaking the mix to make it her own.

When she was happy with her lavender-scented soap recipe, she started dispersing samples to family and friends.

Based on their feedback she improved her cloth, eco-friendly packaging and The Old White House product line was born. Now, Hein sells natural lavender laundry soap, organic lavender dryer sachets, lavender linen and room spray and lavender linen and bath cleanser. Her products cost $7 to $10 each.

Hein ramped up her handmade business when her husband lost his job.

“He got a master’s degree on a Saturday and lost his job on a Wednesday,” she said, recalling how the family fell back on her handmade business. “We’ve got soap,” she recalls thinking. “(And) I like making it.”

Last year, the family did occasional shows together. This year, Hein’s husband is back to selling insurance and she has committed to be a regular vender at the Fulton Street Artisans Market every Sunday from June 2 through Sept. 29.

IF YOU GO

Fulton Street Artisans MarketWhat: The show will feature about 70 quilts, including those that will be raffled off in March to raise money for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

More details:grartmarket.com Become a vendor: Opening day and full season booths are sold out, but prospective weekly vendors can download a registration form at grartmarket.com. The cost to vend is $22 for a 16-foot booth and $10 for an eight-foot booth. Weekly vendors are assigned to booths via a lottery system before the market opens each week. For more information, email info@grartmarket.com.

This is great news for those who frequent the market that attracts hundreds of vendors throughout the season. Opening day is sold out and will feature 104 local vendors selling goods ranging from handmade jewelry and handbags to home and outdoor goods.

The key is to act fast if you see something you like. Last weekend, Hein and I were scheduled to meet for a photo shoot during a recent sale, but she sold out before I arrived.

“This has never happened,” said an excited Hein when she called to tell me the news.

High five, sister!

Word is spreading fast about Hein’s popular product line that I have yet to get my hands on. The soap is reportedly gentle enough to launder baby clothes and cloth diapers, and the linen spray is said to have a calming effect.

“We had one person say her husband is a Vietnam vet, and it helps him sleep better,” Hein said. “When you hear someone tell you something like that, you know that’s what it’s all about.”

At another show, a young woman stopped by the booth and told Hein, “It smells like my grandmother over here.”

The woman didn’t have money on her to make a purchase and started to tear up because it reminded her so much of her grandmother who loved lavender, so Hein made sure the woman didn’t walk away empty-handed.

It’s often the case that handmade businesses are about so much more than the end product on the table.

After spending many years as a stay-at-home mom, Hein said she is happy to be making a financial contribution to her family.

“I’m really most proud of this,” she said, comparing her soapmaking to some of her other handmade business ventures. “I know I’m doing a good thing.”

Hein said her next goal is to grow her business big enough to employ other stay-at-home moms who could work from their homes and help them “stay home with their kids.”

The Fulton Street Artisans Market has come a long way since it opened in 2005 with a handful of dedicated artists, and our handmade community is lucky to have such an affordable venue to buy and sell handmade goods. Let’s all head down there June 2 to show our support. I’ll be walking through collecting stories for future columns, and I hope to make it to Hein’s booth before she sells out.

Email Jennifer Ackerman-Haywood at jennifer@craftsanity.com or send story ideas to P.O. Box 888192, Grand Rapids, MI 49588. See more quilts from the show on Jennifer's blog at craftsanity.com. Follow @CraftSanity on Twitter and Instagram and check out the latest edition of CraftSanity Magazine available for download at craftsanity.com.